Connecting device



March 13, 192s.

1,662,055 H. P. CHANDLER y 'CONNECTING DEVICE Filed May l5. 1925 @www Mm @Agfa/6m @www l Patented Mar. 13, 1928.

UNITED STAT Es PATENT OFFICE- HOMER P. CHANDLER, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHIO BRASS COM- PANY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, A

CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

CONNECTING DEVICE.

Application led Hay 13,

My invention relates to connecting devices and particularly that class of device for making temporary electrical .connections to a conductor. y

The object is to provide a means which is easy and quick in manipulation and which will make an electrical connection with a feeder conductor and with a fuse or other protecting device interposed.

My invention resides in the new and no vel construction, combination and relation oi the various parts fully described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my invention. l

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 ot Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

In the preferred embodiment of my inveution I employ a body member 1 which is provided with an internally threaded recess 2 and a larger recess 3. Mounted in the threaded recess 2 is a threaded boss tprovided with a depending lug 5 provided with a transverse opening to receive a pintlc 6. Mounted upon the pintle 6 are two jaws 7 and each jaw is provided with lugs 8 and 9, as better shown in Fig. 2, by means of which the jaws 7 are pivotally mounted upon the pintle 6. The jaws ,7 are also provided with oppositely disposed grooves 10 to receive the Yt'eeder conductor 11, which may be a plain conductor or may be a trolley wire which is used not only as a conductor, but as a lsource of current supply to a moving vehicle. l

The body member 1 is provided with an annular tace 12 which engages the jaws 7 and as the jaws and body member are moved relatively toward each other the extreme end of the jaws 7 will be moved toward each other and into engagement with the conductor and when the jaws and body member are moved away from each other then the jaws` will be lett free to release their grip upon the conductor. The relative movement of the jaws 7 and body member 1 is brought about through the connection between theI body member 1 and the boss 4 as it will be evident that the rotation of the body member 1 in either direction will move the boss 4 either inwardly or outwardly with respect to the body member 1, and this in turn will 1925. Serial N0. 29,934.

move the jaws 7 toward or away from the body member 1.

Projecting from the body member 1 is an externally threaded flange 13 to which is threadably secured an insulating tube 14 which I prefer to form of what is known as vuicanized liber, that is7 a tube formed ot paper and treated to produce a hard, tense material, and which I tind is not easily af'- fected by an electricl arc. 'Ihis material, however, is not as water proof as I would like7 therefore, I .surround the same with a tube 15 composed of tibi-ous material treated with a phenolic resin. The outer tube will be highly water proof as compared with the inner tube, but it does not stand an arc as well as a tube composed ot vulcanized fiber. Both of these materials are common products upon the market and can be readily secured. Inter-posed between the tube 15 and the member 1 is a collar 16 composed of insulating material and which protects the hand ot an operator from contacting with the member 1 in connecting or disconnecting the device with relation to a live conductor.

The end of the member 111 away from the member 1 isl internally threaded to receive a bushing 17 and to the projecting end of the bushing 17 is secured a metal cap 18 which is protected externally by an insulating cap 19 formed preferably ofv a phenolic compound. The interior of the metal cap 18 is provided with a conical shaped recess 20 in which is mounted a connecting member 21 having a conical surface corresponding to that ot the recess 20 and the member 21 is provided with a cavity in which is secured, preferably by soldering, the end 22 of an insulated conductor 23. The conductor 22 is mounted in the member 21 by first passin the cable 23 through the opening 24 in the combined members 18 and 19 which are disengaged from the bushing 17. The members 21 and 22 are then secured together by soldering and the member 21 is then drawn back into position into the tapered cavity 20, and then the parts 18 and 19 are positioned upon the bushing 17. It will be noted that this construction gives a swivel connection between the members 18 and 21 so that in assembling the parts the cable 23 is not twisted as itdoes not necessarily rotate when the members 18 and 19 are rotated.

The body member 1 is provided with a shouldered recess 25 and the bushing 17 is Sli provided with a passage 26 and mounted in the recess and passage is an enclosed 'fuse 27 which is provided with a fusible element 28 which is electrically connectedto the body member 1 through the medium of the screw 29, and whose other end is connected to a washer 30 by means ot the screw 31.

In assembling the members 1.8 and 19 and 21 the rotation ot the members 18 and 19 will move the member 21 into contact with the washer 30 thereby placing the conductor 23 in electrical connection with the end ot the 'fuse 28 thereby establishingan electric circuit through the fuse trom 'the jaws 7 to the conductor 23.

ln order to'apply the invention to a con-V ducto-r 11 the ojiierator will hold the jaws 7 in one hand and the parts 15 and 19 in the other hand and by rotating the part-s 15 and 1,9 he will be able to rotate 'the part 1 which will. rotate relative to the jaws 7, and ii1 the parts 15 and 19 are rotated in the proper direction the member 1 will be moved away from the jaws, permitting there to be opened. Having released the jaws 7 a proper amount, the operator, still holding` the members 15 and "'19, will position the jaws 7 upon the conductor 1l and will then rotate the parts ll and 19 in the opposite direction y'from that previously rotated, which will cause the member 1 to rotate to the jaws 7 as the jaws 'i' cannot rotate on account ot the positioning` ot the conductor 1l within the grooves 10. This rotation will move the member 1 into engagement with the jaws 7 and cause them to pivot about the pintle tl and into engagement with the conductor 1l. lt desired, the members 1? and 1d may be pinned together toprevent any relative rotation, and the member 15 is preferably secured to the member 14- against rotation by a tight lit ot these parts.

'It a 'fuse 28 should be blown it may be replaced by rotating the jaws 7 together with the boss d until the boss l is removed from the member 1 and the screw 29 then removed, which releases the'end of the `fuse 27, and the elements 1S and 19 are then removed by proper rotation andthe enclosed tuse may then be renioved from the casing and replaced by another use and the parts re-assen'ibled.

My invention provides a simple andquicli way ot mahing'a positive clamp connection with a Jleeder conductor and is oit particular use around minos where such connections are frequently made and broken at various points within the mine for the operation ot portable machinery. v

I lit will be evident to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made in the disclosure herein made, but which` will not. depart from the spiritof my invention and, therefore, I do not wish to be limited other than by my claims. i

I claim: l

1. A feeder tapper comprising a pair oit pivotally mounted jaws to engage and grip a conductor, operatingl means to Vengage the jaws externally thereof and to move relative thereto in a longitudinal direction to move the jaws into engagement witlrthe conductor, a handle secured to the oj'ierating means and which, when rotated, Awill` rotate the operating means, means connecting the .i

operating means and jaws to move the jaws and said .means relative 'to each other when the handle is rotated, means to securev a cable to said tapper and a, fuse interposed between the jaws and the cable.

2. A feeder tapper comprising a pair ot pivotally mounted jaws to `grip a conductor, a rotatable handle, u'ieans to move the jaws either toward or away trom the handle, depending upon the .direction ot rotation ot the handle, means interposed betweeny the handle and the jaws to en; i the jaws ex* terually thereof and move the jaws into and hold them in engagei'nent with a conductor and means to electrically connect a cable with the jaws to conduct current from the conductor to the cable.

3; '.lhe'combination with a pair oit pivotally mounted members to grip aconduetor and having externally and oppositely disposed conically shaped bearing surfaces having' couically shaped interior surfaces to engage the bearing surfaces on the gripping members, oit a'rotatable insulated handle to move the members into engagement with a conductor, means connecting the jaws and handle in relative rotatable and longitudinally vmovable relation and means to electrically connect the members to a cable.`v

Il. A feeder tapper comprising a pair ot jaws to engage a conductor and both jaws movable simultaneously toward or away from the conductor, an insulated handle,

means attached to the handle and engaging e the two jaws to move both the jaws simultaneously toward the handle and toward the conductor when the handle is rotated, Va fusible element within the handle, means to detachably connect the inner end ot the fuse to the said means attached to the handle and engaging the jaws, a termii'ial member for connection to a cable and detachable means secured to the handle to hold the terminal member in contact with the Outer end of the 'fusible member. Y

ln testimony whereofV l a'tlir: my signature.

HOMER P. CHANDLER. 

